George Burley continued this season's theme of getting it right second time around. 

Even by George Burley's own standards the selection for the game at Barnsley was baffling, up front dropping BWP and pairing Rasiak with Stern John meant that we had no pace whatsoever up front, whilst why was Viafara dropped for Hammill, Viafara has been our best midfielder consistently this season yet cant get in the side, even scoring at Colchester wasnt enough to keep his place.

But it was at the back it was most baffling, with Davies injured surely the most logical move was to move Thomas back to the centre and bring back fit again Ifil, but no, Burley left Thomas out of position and brought back Darren Powell, what was the sense in this, it left us with a slow and pedestrian back four without a recognised full back.

We soon paid the price as Barnsley ripped us to shreds even before there was 60 seconds on the clock and we conceded the quickest Championship goal of the season after just 16 seconds and it could have been quicker if the initial cross hadnt been a little inaccurate.

We were lucky to only be two down at half time and there werent that many Saints fans in the ground predicting anything other that a good beating.

The introduction of Ifil at half time with the departure of Powell allowed Saints to stabilise and the double substitution on the hour quickly changed the game with two goals from BWP in nine minutes drawing us level and in truth we should have won it.

But has George Burley learnt his lesson, history tells us probably not, the result at Colchester was put in perspective as Blackpool cruised to an easy victory there, yes the same Blackpool who were in the relegation zone and now only three points behind us, once again the manager made the wrong team selection and tactics and had to use up all the substituions to put them right, only one man who watches Saints would have made the selections that he did and sadly that one man is Burley.

Some will say he is a manager with many years experience but to be frank for one reason or another he isnt doing it here, week after week its the same report on Saints, wrong team picked and wrong tactics having to be corrected by bringing on substitutes which all too often are too litle too late.

Burley has his favourites and that has to be affecting team morale, Jermaine Wright is an honest player but he is no left back and was ripped apart on Saturday, up front the performance of Rasiak both at Barnsley on Colchester shows that he is twice the player Stern John is, John has done OK this season scoring nine goals, although it has to be said the hat trick agaisnt Hull somewhat distorts this, but how many would Rasiak have got in the same period if he had been played ?

Saints are still on the fringes of the play offs, but they are sinking fast and now have to start winning a few games, in too many games we have to play catch up and we drop points far too often I fear that with some clubs Ipswich and Coventry for example rumoured to be spending big in January, even a play off spot will be beyond us.          

Photo: Action Images

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